At this time of the year, we celebrate a lot of things. It got me thinking about celebrations and when I think of the word celebration, big events come to mind: Christmases, my wedding, my husband’s big surprise 30^th birthday party, my 40^th birthday party, friends’ weddings and vacations. These events are memorable and exciting and generate lots of photos, but I think just as important are the many smaller celebrations in life. Sometimes those smaller moments can be even more special as they are more spontaneous and relaxed.

Lately I’ve taken up the game of golf. I can’t really say I play so much as I try to play. I got into the game because my older son loves it. And he especially loves when I come with him. For my birthday last year he bought me a set of ladies’ leftie pink clubs. They say “Golf Girl,” on them, quite a name to live up to. In any case, going out with my son has been a good way to spend quality time together. The course where we play is pretty, with rolling hills and views of the bay. Even when I’m doing badly the walk is nice. Celebration enters the picture every time I hit the ball somewhat decently. When I don’t shank it or miss it altogether, I’m pretty happy. My son, who is very good, is always encouraging. I try to encourage him as well and celebrate his good shots. Then there’s always the drink or lunch after the game, which I enjoy just as much as the game itself.

My son and I have also been cooking together a lot recently. He loves to find recipes on the internet and make out shopping lists for me to buy. We’ve had many successes, like Asian-spiced chicken thighs and honey mustard chicken and a few failures, like the brownies that we overcooked. Each time we find a good recipe, it’s like a little celebration that the whole family gets to enjoy.

My other son has recently started a new tradition with my husband. About once a week they get up early and go out to breakfast before school. This has been a great time for them to connect, away from the TV and video games. I would even call it a celebration of sorts, celebrating uninterrupted time together.

Recently a new member of our family has arrived and he’s created his own set of rituals and celebrations. He weighs 5 pounds and he’s three months old. He’s a miniature schnauzer. After not having had a dog for 4 years, Romeo is adding a lot of life to our house. One of my favorite rituals is our daily walk. There’s nothing more fun than watching Romeo bound up the street, alert to every sound and sight. Whenever a person passes, he’s unsure of what to do so he just sits down and waits for them to pass. Encountering another dog is pure joy. He bouncing up and down wanting to play with them. Another favorite ritual is sitting at my computer at the end of the day and watching Romeo curl up at my feet, sleeping contentedly. On the celebration side of things, potty training is the order of the day and each time he have a success outside, he gets a reward and we feel we are one step closer to reaching that goal.

Another low-key kind of celebration in my life right now is my weekly coffee date with my friend Camille. I’ve known Camille since we were in 6^th grade but for a long time we lived in different parts of the country. Two years ago she moved to the Bay Area and so we could resume our friendship. After all these years we’re still basically the same people. There is something comforting about being with someone that has known you that long, has been in your wedding, has watched you evolve as a mother and knows what makes you tick. I consider it a great blessing to have Camille back in my life.

Maybe I could say I even prefer these small celebrations to the bigger ones. I’m a little embarrassed to admit it, but one of the best memories of my wedding was leaving it. I’m not a gregarious person and the pressure of having to smile and greet hundreds of people was somewhat stressful. I’ll never forget the great feeling of climbing into our car at the end of the wedding and driving away to a little bed and breakfast in the city. As soon as we arrived we ordered Chinese take-out, since we hadn’t had time to each much, and we watched TV. It was bliss.